Final Stats |   

Cullowhee, N.C. - For the fifth time this season the Western Carolina volleyball team took a match to five sets and just like the four previous times the Catamounts came out victorious, 3-2. The Bears of Mercer University gave WCU all it could handle despite entering the match with a 5-13 record. Highlighting the Catamounts performance was senior Jordan Timmermann surpassing the 1,000 career digs mark. She became the tenth Catamount in program history to surpass 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in a career.

Timmermann now ranks ninth in career kills with 1,176 and 19th in career digs with 1,008 following her 19 kill/12 dig performance Friday evening inside the Ramsey Center. Timmermann led the Cats in kills and finished fourth in digs during the match while also chipping in a match-high three service aces and three blocks.

Senior Caitlin Piechota, who is also a member of the 1,000 kills/1,000 digs club, had 14 kills, 17 digs and three blocks in the match. Senior Addy George added 10 kills and six blocks as she continued to assert her presence at the net. Freshman Katie O'Connor had a career-high nine blocks including three solo stops while adding three kills.

Freshman setter Jo-Leigh Vervelde led the team with 25 assists and also had 15 digs, six kills and two blocks. Junior setter Cristina Nazario had 21 helpers to go along with seven digs, two kills, two service aces and one block.

The Catamounts improved to 11-11 overall and 4-4 in SoCon play while the Bears dropped to 5-14 overall and 1-5 in SoCon action.

WCU controlled most of the opening set but it was a 13-4 to close out the stanza that gave WCU its 25-16 margin of victory. George had six of WCU's 12 kills in the period while also chipping in a pair of blocks.

The second set was almost the complete opposite as the Bears controlled play and took a 25-21 set victory. Molly Locke led the Bears with six kills and three blocks in the set while also digging up 12 balls. The Bears had 17 kills in the set and three blocks while the Catamounts mustered 10 kills and six blocks.

The third set was close early on but an 11-3 run by the Bears midway through the period gave them a seven point advantage. Mercer would go on to win the set 25-17. The Bears had six players combine for 17 kills while also adding three blocks. The Cats had just 12 kills in the period and one block.

The fourth set was all Catamounts as WCU cruised to a 25-15 victory. Timmermann led the squad with seven kills while the team combined for four blocks. The Bears relied heavily on Locke who had seven kills of her own while also digging up seven balls.

The fifth and final set saw the Catamounts jump out to a 7-3 lead and never look back. A block by O'Connor and Vervelde ended the match at 15-10. Timmermann once again led the Cats with four kills in the set to go along with a block. The Bears had just six kills and one block and WCU was able to hold Locke to just one kill in the period.

The Bears were led in the match by Locke who finished with 19 kills, 30 digs and five blocks. Caroline Carlton added 14 kills and a pair of blocks.

WCU will hit the road for three-straight match beginning with a trip to UNCG on Tuesday, Oct. 21 for a match at 7 p.m. The Spartans downed WCU 3-0 earlier this season inside the Ramsey Center.